The Holy Spirit is above all things...Holy. Eph.4:30

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God...

The Holy Spirit of God is many things. He is the Comforter (John 14:16, 26; 15:26) He is the Sealer (Eph 1:13, 4:30), He is the Revealer (1 Corinthians 2:12-14) but above all these titles He is ultimately and eternally holy. Holy is not a title but a nature. The Spirit of God is the holy Comforter, the holy Sealer, the holy Revealer. Everything He does is, therefore, holy. If we keep that in mind it would clarify many things. Many movements claim to be holy Spirit authored. When one tests that spirits one should ask, "Are the fruits of this movement holy?" Many believers claim their actions to be holy Spirit authored. Some would claim that their failed church growth mission was holy Spirit authored (He faileth not). Some would claim that the holy Spirit prompted them to divorce their spouse. Is divorce holy? Some would claim that their new business partnership is holy Spirit authored. Does not the holy Spirit inspired Scriptures forbid this type of partnership? Yes. Before one claims their actions to be holy Spirit authored let them ask, "Are the fruits of this action holy, do the holy Scriptures approve of my action?" This must be the final test of actions, movements and claims.
Our text states "grieve not the holy Spirit of God." The greek word for "grieve" can mean to sadden or to cause anger. To be holy means, among other things, to be angry with sin...specifically one must be angry firstly and primarily with one's own sin. David teaches us in Psalm 4:4 that we must "Stand in awe, and sin not..." The word "awe" means "to be angry". If you desire to "sin not" you must be angry with sin. You must be angry with your own sin. To be angry with other's sins will not help you. You must be angry with your own sin.
The above necessitates that the holy Spirit is angry with sin. He is not angry with His sin for He is without sin, He is the holy Spirit! His anger with sin is holy anger. His holy anger is toward the sin in the life of the believer. His holy anger is toward sin in the life of Christ's holy people. Paul states in Eph. 1 that God chose us to be holy and blameless.
May both writer and reader live like those who are angry with sin. May a fruit of the holy Spirit's indwelling of the believer be a holy anger toward sin.
Lord willing we will look at reasons to be angry with sin on our next posting.

buried in Christ,
St. Loder